Customer Experiences with Economy Hotels in China: Evidence from Mystery Guests

Abstract

This study adopts a research-oriented mystery guest method to investigate customer experiences with economy hotels in China. Based on the analysis of lived experiences with 56 economy hotels in 13 mainland Chinese cities, six pertinent issues-location, online booking, pricing, check-in/out services and staff attitude, room design and facilities, and supporting service features and facilities-are examined to assess their contributions to the customer experience of economy hotels in China. The study illustrates the current status of these issues based on the authors' lived experiences and reflections. The experiential perspective adopted in this study provides valuable information on an emerging and rapidly growing sector of China's hotel industry.